On Sunday a reporter for the paper wanted to know more and asked Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bisessar about it.
Persad-Bissessar had just arrived from her overseas trip that took her to Australia for the commonwealth Heads of Government meeting and she was briefing reporters on the trip and answering their questions.
She confirmed that before her departure Khan did not indicate a desire to leave the cabinet and while she was away she did not hear anything to suggest that he was planning to leave.
"You will have to ask Dr Khan," she stated. "That question would best be put to Dr Khan. There has been no such information coming from Dr Khan.”
Khan, a urologist, has been concerned that many of his patients are in need of the specialised treatment he offers. He stopped his private practice after the Prime Minister gave him an ultimatum in July to make a choice between public service and treating patients at his private clinic.
Khan chose to remain in cabinet. And that is where he is planning to stay.
The minister denied that he was ever planning to quit as reported in Newsday, noting that the matter was blown out of proportion.
“I could not believe it,” Khan said of the article. “I spoke to the reporter for about five minutes last week when they asked about my former private patients and then saw this.”
He told the Guardian newspaper he initially offered no comment to the reporter's question and then stated: “Whether I go or not, I will decide when I’m ready.”
Khan admitted he spoke about concerns for his patients as well as public sector patients and how they are all faring.
“But as of this time, I have no intention of resigning,” he declared.
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